Fans sticking by Sven-Göran Eriksson

Manchester City fans plan to protest at Anfield today as it is confirmed Thaksin Shinawatra plans to sack the manager

MANCHESTER CITY cancelled their weekly press conference on Friday to avoid exacerbating the embarrassment caused by their treatment of Sven-Göran Eriksson, and the club must be relieved that their last two Premier League matches are both away, precluding a full-scale demonstration by supporters at Eastlands.

That Eriksson is to be sacked at the end of his first season in charge has been common knowledge since it was revealed by The Sunday Times three weeks ago. That the fans are opposed to the move has been made obvious ever since, and the hard core travelling to Anfield for this afternoon's match against Liverpool intend to make their feelings clear.

The decision by City's owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, to ditch Eriksson and court Luiz Felipe Scolari, who will be available after taking Portugal to the European Championships in June, is unpopular but symptomatic of increasingly demanding times. A new breed of owner, the